Identity is challenging in a distributed environment. When dealing with educators, I often mention that if they are not involved in networked conversation, their voice essentially doesn't exist (which raises the prospect that learners will receive information from less than ideal sources). Well, in reality, if you're not online, it's not only that you don't exist. Instead, the challenge arises that others may form your identity for you. For example, in a neighboring city of Brandon, Manitoba, a teenager has been charged with impersonating a teacher for creating a Facebook account using the teachers name and identity. While I see the parallel with impersonating a person in a physical space (and therefore the basis of the arrest), these types of things are almost impossible to control. The onus of confirming identity - much like email spam - should rest on the people interacting with the Facebook profile. I have become cynical over the last few years about people offering me huge sums of money if I will only provide my personal banking information. In a similar sense, when I encounter an individual online, I need to question/be wary. As astonishing as it may appear, not everything we encounter online is completely accurate.
Posted by gsiemens at May 7, 2008 4:45 PM | TrackBackInterestingly enough, my students told me that they use facebook to keep up on gossip, news, etc... from home and around campus. However, they also use it to keep acquaintances at an arm's length. They said that they communicate (one or two lines every other week or so) with people on facebook that they would never associate with if they were home or with them in a close proximity. Perhaps we underestimate some of our youth's skill in using technology as a way to stay in the grapevine, but keeping their own "safe zone".
Posted by: Virginia Yonkers at May 8, 2008 12:19 PM